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WOMEN IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE USA

WOMEN IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE USA. BREAKING INTO THE FIELD OF LAW.

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WOMEN IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE USA

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  1. WOMEN IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE USA

  2. BREAKING INTO THE FIELD OF LAW Women have been a part of the legal system since the early years of this nation, but for a long time, they were prohibited from practicing law. The general impression was that women were unfit, because they were too tender to practice law.

  3. She became the firstfemale lawyer in the United States when she was admitted to the Iowabar in 1869. Arabella Mansfield(1846-1911)

  4. Myra Bradwell (1831-1894) 1872 - the Supreme Court denied her to the bar because of her gender. 1873- the Illinois legislature passes a law prohibiting gender discrimination. 1890 - she was admitted to the Illinois Bar. 1892 - she had received her license to practice.

  5. Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood (1830 – 1917) Belva Lockwood was an Americanattorney, politician, educator and author. Shewasactiveinworkingforwomen'srights.

  6. Clara Shortridge Foltz(1849-1934) She was the first female lawyer on the West Coast. The Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles was renamed after her in 2002, and is now known as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

  7. THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN JUSTICE NOW

  8. Women are an important part of the USA’s legal system • The rights and roles of women have changed drastically over the last century. • Women have equal rights to men and are increasingly dominating the workplace. • In the world of law, more and more women are becoming successful and respected lawyers. Some of the best lawyers in the world are women.

  9. Women Lawyers Associations Goals: • keep woman lawyers informed and up-to-date on the latest news • provide support to women in law • eliminate both direct and indirect discrimination against women in the legal system • make legal system more responsive to women needs

  10. Associations: • the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA); • the Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO); • Association of Women Lawyers in Milwaukee; • the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) • Tennessee Lawyer's Association for Women(TLAW) • The Georgia Association for Women Lawyers(GAWL) • Virginia Women Attorneys' Association(VWAA) • Philadelphia Women Lawyer's Association (PWLA)

  11. Employment of Women in Law in law firms: • 34,4% of all lawyers • 45,3% of associates at large law firms • 18,7% of partners at large law firms in law schools: • 19,8% of Deans • 29,3% of Full Professors • 46,8% of Associate Professors • 53,9% of Assistant Professors

  12. Women in the Federal Judiciary: • 22.2% of the U.S. Supreme Court • 17.4% of U.S. Circuit Court Judges • 16.2% of U.S. District Court Judges Legal Education • Women made up 47.3% of all entering law students in 2008

  13. Does gender segregation still continue? Women lawyers make less money than men lawyers. Karen Mathis, the president of the American Bar Association said, “…the ABA is aware that there are discrepancies between the earnings of women and men functioning at the same level in the legal profession.” She pointed out that full-time malelawyer is paid $1,748 a week, female lawyer is paid $1,354 a week. Women's median earnings – about $53,800a year Men’s median earnings - about $105,200 a year

  14. Salary Gaps Women judges, magistrates and other judicial workers earn - $69,500 Men’s judges, magistrates and other judicial workers earn- $108,100 Women attorneys earn - $93,600 Men's attorneys earn - $120,400. Women paralegals and legal assistants earn - $42,600 Men paralegals and legal assistants earn - $45,700

  15. WOMEN AND MEN: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCESin their careers as lawyers

  16. Women are more likely than men: • to experience discrimination in the workplace • to choose law in order to help people and to change society • to work in public interest, other nonprofit and legal service organizations • to serve as public defenders • to work in educational institutions • to have changed jobs during the early years of their careers • to participate in recruitment in their workplaces.

  17. Women are less likely than men: • to work in private law firms • to choose the sector of their job for reasons of financial security • to be solo practitioners • to be married and to have children • to join partners for meals and recreation

  18. Both Men and Women • report different reasons for choosing law as a career and for choosing the setting of their first job • express satisfaction with their jobs • tend to practice in different legal markets and work settings

  19. FAMOUS WOMEN IN AMERICAN LAW

  20. Sandra Day O'Connor( 1930) The first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

  21. Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg (1933) is an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton. She is the second female Justice. Sonia Sotomayor (1954) is serving since August 2009. President BarackObama nominated Sotomayor for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  22. Career or Family? The “traditional” response: 1) delay family life to focus on a career 2) to have a family

  23. What has been achieved: • women have made significant progress into the profession • women are now entering law school in numbers nearly equal to men • women persuaded Congress to open the federal courts to them • women formed the first Association for women in law • women founded the first Women Lawyers’ Journal • women are elevated to the Superior Court • women are admitted to the American Bar Association

  24. What problems remain: • women continue to lag behind men in compensation • women continue tohave the barriers to equality at leadership levels in law • women continue to experience subtle discrimination and unequal treatment • the proportion of women engaged in the law is less than in the other professions

  25. Plans for the future: • organizations must find ways to retain and advance their female employees • organizations must promote women and insist on diversity in the workplace • women must continue the struggle for equality • organizationsmust struggle for cutting down the discrepancies between the earnings of women and men

  26. It is interesting to knowLegal Education Costs • the most prestigious educational institution – $50000-60000 a year • an average educational institution – $27000-30000a year • the interactive course – $18000 a year

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